Hotel Review Veranda Paul et Virginie, Grand Gaube, Mauritius. Research Stay.
Location
The four-star hotel is located in the north of Mauritius in the lagoon of Grand Gaube. This small town is an authentic fishing village where the small fishing boats were made in times gone by. There is also a public beach right next to the resort, but it is not noticeable from the resort itself. The road leading to the accommodation is relatively busy, but there is not much to discover on foot in the immediate vicinity anyway.
The distance to the capital Port Louis is about 30 kilometres, which corresponds to a journey time of about 35 minutes. You will be on the road a little longer if the destinations of your trip are Chamarel or Le Morne. Then you should reckon with about one and a half hours in each direction. The international airport Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes by car.
Style & Character
The Adults-Only Hotel conveys an atmosphere of cosiness and relaxation at first sight. A lovely palm-lined pool landscape, the reed-woven parasols and roofs of the buildings, and the small anchored fishing boats are almost kitschy and picturesque. The open lobby, which flows into the bar and restaurant area, creates a holiday feeling from the first step.
Since the grounds are not overly spacious, the village character of the surroundings is enhanced. And that is harmonious! The hotel’s restaurants are also kept in the same style. All in all, the hotel is a charming, deliberately casual representative of the more upmarket category.
Rooms & Suites
Our Veranda Paul et Virginie experience is based on a stay in room 421, which is a Superior Room type, which means 38 square metres and a balcony with a sea view. And it is magnificent. Especially early in the morning. Then it offers the opportunity to observe the breathtaking colours of the sunrise in all its glory.
The rooms themselves are simple, but have the necessary equipment to make a pleasant stay possible. We liked the king-sized which was very comfortable. The minibar is filled as standard, but is not included in the regular price except for the water. Only the bathroom could do with some renovation, as the fittings are no longer the latest and the shower wall does not close completely, which can lead to unpleasant water leakage.
Food
The main restaurant is the Isle de France. It has about 140 seats overlooking the pool and the sea. A lot of wood and an architecturally sophisticated roof construction characterise the image. It is the place where the breakfast and dinner buffets are set up. The quality is okay, but the presentation could definitely use some work. So are the display cases in which butter and vegetables are kept cool, noticeably outdated. The main dishes are Mauritian specialities, lots of fish but also vegetarian alternatives.
The second gastronomic location of the resort is the restaurant and beach bar Le Saint Gérant. It is located on the pier that runs into the sea, with a beautiful panorama and sand underfoot. The food is very good at lunchtime and in the evening. Lunch is included in the standard package, but for dinner you have to make a reservation and pay extra.
In keeping with the location, the cuisine is focused on fish specialities and seafood. The successful menu ranged from shrimp and chicken skewers to marlin rolls, bubblefish and langoustines. Rich and tasty with a fiery finish in the form of bananas flambéed at the table.
Drinks
The Poudre d’Or Bar is open between 11am and 11pm and is the hotel’s hot spot, especially in the evenings. While coffee and juices are served during the day as part of the booking package, this extends to sandwiches and snacks at lunchtime. But don’t let this term mislead you, as it also includes burgers. So you certainly won’t have to go hungry. Once night has fallen on the holiday paradise, it’s time for cocktails. We were particularly taken with the Besame Mucho. Becuse with vanilla rum, lemongrass and pineapple, this cocktail might not be the last of the day.
Amenities & Service
The service at the Veranda Resort is very warm and attentive. We especially liked the reception and the uncomplicated check-in process. Small attentions from the team in the room, the obliging chef at the cooking course and also the hard-working reception staff left the impression that everyone here enjoys their job.
The Paul et Virginie has two pools, of which the infinity pool is particularly exciting. It offers a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean and the bright sun and is a great photo spot at the same time. The beach section is small, and the water is a little riddled with algae at this point. Although you can swim away from these adversities, stand up paddles, pedal boats or kayaks are a great way to get out a little further and enjoy the sea there. There is also the option of using nearby seaplanes or catamaran tours that can be booked through the hotel.
The gym is small and has a treadmill, a rowing machine, a weight bench and two ergometers. Basically, the gym is sufficiently air-conditioned, unless the power supply is not working, which can sometimes happen in Mauritius.
What we loved
On the one hand, there is the aforementioned catamaran tour. If you have the opportunity, book one. You sail out with the entertaining captain, do a fine snorkelling round, have lunch and drinks on board and then drop anchor off a small uninhabited island to explore it. On the other hand, you can enjoy the fine drinks at the bar and the view of the romantic fishing boats from the balcony.
It’s also great that a small amount per room is added to your bill to benefit families in need. Of course, this is voluntary and you can easily cancel it. But why should you do that? The euro doesn’t hurt us, but it can make life much better for others.
What we’d love to see next Time
As already mentioned, the resort would benefit from a little overhaul or renovation in some areas. Specifically, these would be: The bathroom facilities and the display cases or the presentation of the food in the Isle de France as well as the pool loungers themselves. One additional thing: A little more variety in the buffet wouldn’t go amiss either. And we would also like to see a policy on sunbeds introduced or enforced, as too often they are empty but reserved all day. All in all, these are minor issues that can be easily remedied, so we are complaining at a very high level.
Top-Tip
Due to its location in the north of the island, Veranda Paul et Virginie offers great views of both sunrise and sunset. For the latter, the best spots are either by the infinity pool or by the jetty around 6pm (in May).
For whom it’s perfect & Bottom Line
- For Couples
- For Friends
The Paul et Virginie is a good to very good hotel that is hard to beat in terms of value for money. The few deficiencies are not of a serious nature and will ideally be remedied in the next season. So if you are looking for a reasonably priced domicile in Mauritius that is not bursting with luxury, this is the right place for you.
Veranda Paul et Virginie
B14, Grand Gaube 30617, Mauritius
veranda-resorts.com
Date of our Veranda Paul et Virginie Experience: Mai 2023
